| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 131.1 | New Motor | DIXIE1::WILKINSON | Melted Snow Skier | Thu Aug 25 1988 09:27 | 18 | 
|  |     The power head is the "motor" part of the ob, the foot being the
    tranmission part of the motor. It would include the block, pistons,
    head. Probably not the carbs, exhaust, ignition. Reasons for
    replacement would be a "blown" ruined engine maybe by overheating
    or no oil in the gas. I would think this would be a good sign in
    looking for a used motor. Even though it may have been abused at
    some time, it is new now. 
    
    Questions to ask: 
    	1. What is the cause of powerhead replacement?
    	2. Is it a rebuilt powerhead or is it a factory replacement?
    	   (factory being better)
    	3. Did an authorized dealer do the work and is it warrantied?
    	4. How many hours on new powerhead?
    
    Nelson
    (owner of a used boat and rebuilt ob)
    
 | 
| 131.2 | "Scientific" facts to be aware of!!!! | NETMAN::BAER | Garry Baer | Wed Sep 07 1988 15:30 | 13 | 
|  | 
	It is a proven fact that water causes a boat to "shrink" and "require"
more HP that one initially thought was neccesary!!! (9 out of 10 boat owners
surveyed agree).  Factor your average # of guest's, their baggage, proper
refeshment capacity, enough ponies to pull that 14 year-old "Mike Synider"
superstar on 1 ski, into your requirements.  One can buy a lot more boat at
this time of the year for the same money of a smaller boat in the Spring/Summer.
	Things like a large gas tank, under/indeck storage, interior room to
move and HP are the usual reason a "starter" boat is traded in within 2 years
of purchase.
		Garry
 | 
| 131.3 |  | TOOK::SWIST | Jim Swist LKG2-2/T2 DTN 226-7102 | Tue Jun 25 1991 11:47 | 8 | 
|  |     Here's an outboard powerhead question.
    
    What is the difference between a "loop-charged" and a "cross-charged"
    engine?  One gets the impression that loop charging is a feature and
    cross charging is standard but that doesn't help much if you don't
    know what they mean to begin with.
    
    
 | 
| 131.4 |  | DNEAST::OKERHOLM_PAU |  | Wed Jun 26 1991 12:40 | 8 | 
|  |     Jim,
    	Loop charging causes the gases to swirl in the cylinder. Is
    accomplished by the shape of the top of the piston, among other things.
    Its supposed to result in more complete burning and less wasted fuel.
    	Cross charging is just the basic "suck it in and push it out"
    technology that's always been around.
    	I can get more detailed if you really want to know.
    Paul  
 | 
| 131.5 | Mercury Powerhead Question | KAHALA::SUTER | Never too Hot! | Mon Jul 12 1993 13:12 | 48 | 
|  | 	Moved by moderator
    	------------------
    
              <<< VICKI::SIE$DATA1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]BOATS.NOTE;1 >>>
                                -< Powerboats >-
================================================================================
Note 1072.0                MERCURY POWERHEAD QUESTION                 No replies
NOPROB::COMEAU                                       39 lines  12-JUL-1993 12:55
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Have a few questions about a Merc outboard. Its a 1981 90HP.
	The water pump quit and the engine conked out had to be towed in
	down in Hyannis.
	(Great towing company called "Small Boat Towing" that the Coast
	Guard put us in touch with)
	The boat dealer tore down the engine and he says the # 3 cyl
	is fried.
	Question
		The estimate is $1500 to rebuild powerhead (if rebuildable)
		About 18 hours labor at app. $50 per then the rest in parts
		Does this sound reasonable?
		Can the cyl be bored/honed and just 1 piston replaced??
		Is a complete rebuild the norm for this type of failure??
		Any sugestions would be helpful and appreciated.
			DAC
 | 
| 131.6 | Sounds expen$ive (to me). | ASDS::BURGESS | Waiting for ZEUS to come | Mon Jul 12 1993 14:21 | 68 | 
|  | 
>	Have a few questions about a Merc outboard. Its a 1981 90HP.
>	The water pump quit and the engine conked out had to be towed in
>	down in Hyannis.
>	(Great towing company called "Small Boat Towing" that the Coast
>	Guard put us in touch with)
>	The boat dealer tore down the engine and he says the # 3 cyl
>	is fried.
	This is a very imprecise term - what means "fried" ?
>	Question
>		The estimate is $1500 to rebuild powerhead (if rebuildable)
>		About 18 hours labor at app. $50 per then the rest in parts
>		Does this sound reasonable?
	Not to me, but I'm not trying to make a living at it (-:
	Somehow  OVER TWO FULL WORKING DAYS  sounds like a lot of time 
	to spend directly on rebuilding a 3 cylinder 2 stroke.
>		Can the cyl be bored/honed and just 1 piston replaced??
	Dunno, it depends on what  "fried"  means.   I'm out of date 
on all this stuff, but it used to be that honing could be done without 
pulling "everything" apart - whereas boring required stripping down to 
a naked block - "real machining" work.
>		Is a complete rebuild the norm for this type of failure??
	How bad is  "bad"  ?
>		Any sugestions would be helpful and appreciated.
	Well, I'd try testing the integrity of this dealer by asking 
what the other  $600  for  "parts"  gets me.  OK, all the gaskets to 
reassemble it with - what else ?
Also I'd check around to see if $50 an hour is the going rate for labor.  
Lastly, or maybe  "firstly"  I'd go shopping for a used power head - 
this is the time of year for people to be wiping out their lower ends on 
rocks (lotsa newbie boaters out there this year) so you might be able 
to pick up an outboard with a trashed lower unit for the proverbial 
"song".   My guess is that just swapping power heads doesn't take very 
long and doesn't take much skill.
>			DAC
	Reg (shade tree)
 | 
| 131.7 | said the spider to the fly | USCTR1::BORZUMATO |  | Mon Jul 12 1993 14:59 | 19 | 
|  |     
    I like Reg's idea. One of the bigger reasons is that i have never
    
    seen an outboard rebuild go far. I don't know why, but for one reason
    
    or another they don't make it.
    
    I would suggest you a.  buy a new head.
    
                        B.  buy the remains of a low-unit fatality.
    
    
    I would not invest $1.5k in a 13 year old outboard.
    
    Excuse the word "invest" i slipped.
    
    JIm (reg's shade tree brother)
    
    
 | 
| 131.8 | Sorry...the devil made me do it.... | COAL05::WHITMAN | Acid Rain Burns my Bass | Mon Jul 12 1993 17:44 | 19 | 
|  | <....
<    
<    JIm (reg's shade tree brother)
<    
<
    Nah!!!  More like Reg's shade tree:-):-):-)
Jim,
    I figured you'd have opened the Hardware Store in southern Florida by now
that you & I discussed about 3 years ago (just before I took this job in Calif.)
    Just can't give up N.E. waters I can you.... 
Al
 | 
| 131.9 | buzzards bay not named after a pigeon | USCTR1::BORZUMATO |  | Tue Jul 13 1993 07:29 | 4 | 
|  |     
    Hey Al,  time flies  (3 yrs.)
    
    JIm
 | 
| 131.10 | TOTAL FOR REPAIRS TO POWERHEAD | NOPROB::COMEAU |  | Fri Aug 06 1993 09:25 | 33 | 
|  |     
    
    	Well, for anyone who may be interested the bill is due on the
    	Mercury powerhead mentioned in the previous replies.
    
    
    
    		Parts		509.00
    			Gaskets
    			piston assmby
    			rings for all cyl
    			waterpump
    			misc little
    
    		Labor		650.00
    			hone cyls
    			rebuild carbs (don't know why)
    			install waterpump
    			reassmbly powerhead
    			test and tune
    
    
    		Total		1150.00 +
    
    
    		We're back on the bounding main(sp)
    
    
    
    			DAC
    
    
    
 | 
| 131.11 | WATER PUMP FAILURE PREVENTION??? | NOPROB::COMEAU |  | Fri Aug 27 1993 09:00 | 22 | 
|  |     
    
    
    	The 1981 90hp Merc that was rebuilt seems to be running fine.
    
    	My father-in-law is a little gun-shy about runnig it and he
    	
    	constantly goes to the back of the boat to check the water pump
    
    	output stream to make sure its still pumping.
    
    
    	Question.
    		Is there a kit to provide a warning if the pump fails.
    
    		A gauge, light or audio alarm ?
    
    
    
    			DAC
    
    
 | 
| 131.12 | Pressure gauge | SUBSYS::CHESTER |  | Mon Aug 30 1993 12:28 | 5 | 
|  |     Actually yes.  There is water pressure gauge for the cooling system.  I
    don't know any of the details.  Other than it connects to the output
    side of the water pump.  
    
    KC
 |